Cover for ballistic carrier

ABSTRACT

A cover for a ballistic panel carrier includes cover mounted stays defining loops for engagement by carrier straps, which pull the cover into the body of a wearer when cover and carrier are worn. A lining on the rear shell of the cover extends downwardly but is spaced from a lower edge of the cover. Stiffeners on the cover are coextensive with the stays. Shoulder openings between front and rear components provide access to carrier shoulder straps for adjustment.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to covers used with carriers for ballistic panels and in particular to covers used with vest-like carriers supporting ballistic panels for protection of a wearer or user such as a law enforcement officer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is known to use a vest-like support for supporting ballistic panels of various hard and soft materials, such as those typically utilized against ballistic threats toward military, law enforcement, security or other personnel. Such supports have a “tactical” or operational look. Various entities have attempted to provide covers for these supports, such as those shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8.528,112 and 8,776,262. Such prior covers have more of an ordinary uniform look than the more tactical appearing ballistic panel supports.

Such prior covers have certain structural and functional deficiencies.

For example, such covers block easy access when worn to the front pocket of such ballistic supports or carriers. Also, the structures of such prior covers are frequently difficult for a wearer to put on and, once worn, have flaps or components which can loosen or shift with respect to the carrier, resulting in discomfort, ill-fitting appearance, and obstruction of access by the wearer to critical equipment. Coordination and adjustment of the carrier with the cover is problematical.

Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an improved cover providing easy access to a front ballistic panel carrier pocket of a carrier when the cover is in place on a wearer.

It is also desirable to provide, a cover having improved fit, improved wear quality and improved ease of mounting, together with a carrier, on a user.

A yet further objective of the invention is to provide a cover which coordinates with a ballistic panel carrier in a unique way to enhance bit of both to a wearer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To these ends, a preferred embodiment of the invention contemplates a cover having an outer front shell and a front lining attached at an upper edge thereto, forming a pocket for a front component of a ballistic panel carrier. An upper edge portion of the front lining is connected to the outer shell but a portion of the upper edge of the lining is separated from the shell defining a pass-through opening or pocket providing access by a wearer to an otherwise covered front ballistic carrier pocket for easy insertion or withdrawal of a trauma panel or plate into the carrier, while the carrier and cover are worn by a user.

In addition, the cover is provided with a rear outer shell and two attachment side members for attachment to the front shell. However, the two side members are each provided with a carrier belt or carrier strap restraint in the form of elongated vertical straps or stays attached to the side members. The side members are also provided with elongated stiffeners in association with the vertical straps for added stiffness to the side members.

In use, forwardly extending carrier belts or straps are oriented between the vertical stays and side members, of the carrier, respectively. These carrier belts or straps are easily grasped by a wearer, when donning the assembled carrier and cover, and pulled forwardly to fit the carrier rear components to the wearer and to the front carrier elements. As well, this extension and tension pulls the cover side members into the body of the wearer by virtue of stays and secures them in place, for connection to the front shell of the cover. This not only facilitates putting on the combined carrier/cover unit, but retains the cover side members in conforming fit to the wearer while in use despite body movements which would otherwise cause the side members to flex, bulge, twist or bunch up on the wearer.

It will be appreciated that the rear outer shell of the cover is provided with an internal rear liner forming a pocket for a rear carrier component.

However, this liner extends from an upper portion of the cover, proximate a shoulder area, downwardly only about half-way to the lower waist edge, and terminates in a lower liner edge extending across the cover's rear shell from just under the arm hole areas.

This lower liner edge is substantially free of any connection to the back shell and defines a lower opening of the pocket for insertion of the rear component of the ballistic panel carrier. The lower portion of the rear carrier extends below the lower edge of the liner for forward extension of the carrier belt or straps through the vertical stays of the cover.

Preferably the lower area of the rear liner proximate its lower edge is extended just under the arm hole areas of the rear cover all the way to the end edges of the respective side members and the upper portion of each vertical stay is sewn over the lower area of the rear liner to the side members of the rear cover shell. This provides substantial reinforcement to the lower free edge of the liner, inhibiting any tendency to bunch or roll up, when worn.

It will appreciated that the vertical stays, in conjunction with the elongated and vertical stiffeners, provide rigidity to the side members and conforming fit of the cover during donning and wear.

Finally it will be noted that the cover, at both front and rear shells has upper liner extensions extending toward, but not connected to each other. Carrier shoulder straps from both front and back components of the carrier extend through these areas to a spaced opening formed by edges of the extension. This provides a split shoulder opening facilitating easy carrier should strap adjustment, without interference from an enclosed passage from front-to-back.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other objectives and advantages will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and from the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an illustrative view of the front of a cover according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is an illustrative view of the interior of a rear shell of the cover of FIG. 1 and illustrates a lower strap portion of a ballistic panel carrier fitted into the rear shell;

FIGS. 3-5 are illustrative views in progression of a stiffener and vertical stay applied to side members extending forwardly from a rear shell of the cover of FIGS. 1 and 2, the FIGS. depicting the internal portions of the rear panel and side members with the panel bottom at the top of the FIGS.;

FIGS. 6-9 are illustrative views of a pass-through pocket at the front shell of the cover of FIG. 1, illustrating access through the front pocket of the cover and accommodating insertion of a trauma panel or ballistic member into a front pocket component of a ballistic panel carrier when the cover is worn by a user, with the depiction of a user's hands in FIGS. 7-9 for clarity to illustrate the panel receiving opening (the hands do no comprise any portion of the invention); and

FIG. 10 is an illustration of the interior split shoulder of the cover of FIG. 1 facilitating installation and adjustment of ballistic carrier shoulder support straps.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Turning now to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1 in frontal view a cover 10. Cover 10 includes an outer front shell 12 and a rear shell 14, the interior of which is best seen in FIG. 2.

An internal rear liner 16, preferably of a mesh liner material, is secured at edges to rear shell 14. Rear liner 16 has a lower edge 18, a central portion of which is not secured to shell 14.

Rear shell 14 includes a side member 20, 22 on each side thereof and having respective side member edges 24, 26.

Rear shell 14 is also provided on its inner side at members 20, 22 with vertical stays 28, 30, secured to shell 14 at ends of the stays. Lower ends of stay 28, 30 are secured, as by stitching to rear shell 14. Upper ends of stays 28, 30 are secured over lower areas 16 a, 16 b of liner 16 and to rear shell 14, also by stitching or other suitable expedients.

Lower edge 18 of rear liner 16 is free of attachment to shell 14 between the upper ends of stays 28, 30, providing an opening so a rear carrier component can be inserted upwardly into a pocket forward between liner 16 and rear shell 14. Lower edge 18 is parallel to a waist area 31 of the cover rear shell 14, but extends down only about 1/2 the distance from the neck area to the waist, and is spaced from the lower edge of waist area 31.

FIG. 2 illustrates a rear carrier 36 with an upper portion (not visible in FIG. 2) between the liner 16 and shell 14, and a lower portion 36 a extending out of the pocket to a position proximate near waist edge 31 of shell 14.

With reference to rear liner 16, it has a lower portion 19 extending across the interior of rear shell 14 to respective edges 24, 26 of side members 20, 22 and below arm hole edges 38, 40 of rear shell 14. The stitching of upper ends of stays 28, 30 through portions 16 a, 16 b of lower liner portion 19, secure the liner 16 and free edge 18 against roll-up at the mouth of the pocket between liner 16 and rear shell 14.

Continuing with FIG. 2, noted carrier 36 has two belts or straps 42, 44 extending outwardly of side members 20, 22 from each side of carrier 36. These straps 42, 44 are provided with releasable fasteners at their ends for connection to a front component of carrier 36.

Significantly, straps 42, 44 extend between respective stays 28, 30 and shell 14, thus are captured by the stays.

Also, an elongated stiffener, (FIGS. 3-5), is attached to shell 14 on the outer side thereof and along the stays 28, 30, providing stiffness to side members 20, 22 when the belts or straps 42, 44 are pulled forwardly by the wearer to attach to front components of the carrier. The combination of the stays 28, 30 and stiffeners serve to facilitate donning of the combined carrier/cover, and hold side members 20, 22 securely around the body of a wearer, without bulging, wrinkling, displacement, discomfort or interference with access to their gear.

Preferably the stiffeners are elongated in similar configuration to stays 28, 30 and are held in place against surfaces of shell 14 by hook and loop components 50 provided to secure side the stiffeners 48 to the outer surfaces of side members 20, 22 of the rear shell 14 of cover 10 (FIGS. 3-5).

In this regard, attention is directed to FIGS. 3-5 respecting the stiffener 48 and vertical stay 28 (for example). In FIG. 3, an elongated stiffener 48 is secured to rear shell 14 at side member 20. FIG. 4 illustrates a hook and loop member 50 folded over stiffener 48 on the surface of side member 20 and secured in place. FIG. 5 illustrates a strap or stay 28 in a place on the interior surface of rear shell 14 at side member 20, and before stitching therethrough at upper end 28 a and liner portion 16 a (removed for clarity in FIG. 5). Stay 28 is substantially co-extensive with stiffener 48 on the opposite side of side member 20. The opposite side member stiffener and stay are identical. Stiffener 48 can be of “buckram” material or any suitable stiffening material.

Turning now to FIGS. 6-8, there is illustrated a pass-through pocket in cover 10 at the upper neck opening 12 a of front cover shell 12, and just interior of cover 12.

In FIG. 6 a flap 60 is shown interior of front shell 12, lying over front shell liner 62. Liner 62 has an open edge portion 63 covered by flap 60. Remainder of liner 62 is attached to a liner supporting layer 64 defining neck area 12 a. Flap 60 is raised, edge 63 manually pulled away from the interior of front shell 12 and an internal trauma plate (FIG. 9) can be inserted into the pocket between the front shell 12 and liner 62 containing a front component of a ballistic carrier and a pocket therein for easy access even though the cover is in place, on a wearer, over a ballistic panel carrier, as illustrated in FIGS. 6-9.

FIG. 10 illustrates the split shoulder opening referred to above. Front liner 62 is attached at its upper end to a liner supporting layer 64 across the front of front shell 12 interior. Layer 64 terminates at edge 65 defining an open end of a passage to the space between liner 62 and front shell 12. The rear liner 16 is also supported at its upper end by a layer 66 (FIG. 2) having a free edge 66 a defining an open end of a passage to the space between rear shell 14 and rear liner 16. Edges 65 and 66 a are spaced apart significantly to provide a split shoulder opening 68 therebetween so there is no continuity or connection between any passage to the front carrier component and to the rear carrier component.

This allows extension of carrier straps between edges 65, 66 a, with opening 68 providing easy and unobstructed access to any carrier supporting straps and adjustment buckles or hardware. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A cover for use with a ballistic panel carrier having front and rear cover components, wherein said cover includes; side members extending from a rear cover component; stays secured to said side members and defining a space between said stays and said side members for accepting a strap extending between front and rear carrier components; said side members releasably connectable to said front cover components; said stays biasing said side members toward a wearer when said cover is worn with a carrier.
 2. A cover as in claim 1 further including stiffeners disposed on said side members opposite said stays for stiffening said members when said stays are biased inwardly toward a wearer.
 3. A cover for use with a ballistic panel carrier having at least a front cover component and a ballistic panel pocket, said cover component comprising a front shell, a liner fixed within said front shell and defining said pocket, and a neck opening at an upper end of said cover component said neck opening disposed between said liner and said front shell and defining an end of a passageway therebetween and operatively communicating with said pocket for insertion of a ballistic panel.
 4. A cover as in claim 3 wherein said pocket is accessible through said neck opening when said cover is worn by user.
 5. A cover for a ballistic panel carrier having front and rear components supported by shoulder straps extended therebetween said cover comprising: a front shell; a rear shell; a front liner layer proximate said front shell; a rear liner layer proximate said rear shell; said front and rear liner layers having respective upper portions extending toward one another; said respective portions upper each having edges defining respective passages between said front shell and front liner and between said rear shell and said rear liner respectively; said edges spaced one from the other and defining a spaced opening between said respective passages with unobstructed access to said carrier shoulder straps extending through each of said passages.
 6. A cover for use with a ballistic panel carrier and including: a rear shell having a lower waist area; said rear shell having edges defining arm openings; a rear lining; said rear lining extending downwardly in said cover toward a lower edge of the lining proximate said arm openings; said rear cover shell having side members extending forwardly for releasable connection to a front shell of said cover and having side member edges; and said rear lining extending across said rear shell to said side member edges proximate said arm openings; said lower edge of said rear lining spaced from said lower waist area.
 7. A cover as in claim 6 including stays secured to said side members, said stays having upper ends secured to said lining proximate said arm openings and a portion of said lower edge of said rear lining being a free edge defining a mouth for carrier access between said rear shell and said rear lining. 